The Faith of D.J. Hayden: From Death’s Door to the 2013 NFL Draft [VIDEO]

D.J. Hayden probably shouldn’t be here, let alone playing football. But our God is faithful, and today the University of Houston cornerback has a lot to celebrate after he was selected 12th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft to the Oakland Raiders.

Last fall while at practice, Hayden suffered a tear in the inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from the lower half of the body to the heart, according to NEWS 92 FM. Dr. Walter Lowe, the Cougar’s team physician, said in a statement that type of injury is fatal 95 percent of the time.

“I give all the glory to God. All the glory to him,” Hayden said. “I want to thank him for allowing me to be here.”

Our Heavenly Father goes by many names, most importantly in this case that of Jehovah Rapha, the Lord That Heals. But, we also know that in addition to healing, he promised that he would make the name of the believer great in Genesis 12:2, and that everything we put our hand to would prosper, in Deuteronomy 28:8.

And prosper he did when he helped push the once relatively unconventional pick in D.J. Hayden above others. According to FOX Sports’ Charles Davis, many teams didn’t even have Hayden on their radar because of the injury, but within days of the draft, he was moved into the top spot for corners in the 2013 NFL Draft.

“I think it’s a mild surprise,” Davis said. “The interesting thing for me… it’s been in the last two or three weeks when it became evident he was that good.”

Watch as D.J. Hayden reacts to the Oakland Raiders’ 12th round pick:

Here’s what the analysts of FOX Sports are saying about Hayden’s pick by the Raiders: